Megan Toews
Proposed Research
The research area I am interested in concerns the interplay between cognition and emotion; specifically, how are cognitive processes influenced by emotion, and how do emotions affect cognition?
One aspect of the proposed research would involve autobiographical memory. The experience of a particular mood, categorized as either pleasant or unpleasant, may influence the types of events recalled by participants. Of substantial interest is the frequency of events recalled, as well as the vividness of these memories. For example, it would be worthwhile to compare the frequency of pleasant and unpleasant events recalled when a participant is experiencing a specific mood. Also, if a person experiences an unpleasant mood, would their unpleasant memories be recalled with more vividness and emotional intensity than pleasant memories? Related to this questions is the difficulty of the task; participants may be more willing to recall the pleasant aspects of a memory when experiencing a pleasant mood, but how difficult would it be to recall unpleasant autobiographical memories? This issue is important when considering the accuracy of autobiographical memory, especially if emotions experienced during the recall of these memories differ from the emotional value of the memories themselves. If differences exist in the quantity and/or quality of events recalled when considering the mood of participants, further questions regarding the malleability of episodic memory may be raised.
Mood modification may also be used to investigate mood-dependent memories. One question is whether the recall of emotionally neutral target items could be improved if the mood at the encoding session matched the mood at recall sessions. Could mismatched moods at encoding and recall sessions somehow influence memory performance? Also, what particular aspects of emotion are involved in the process of memory retrieval? These questions are important when considering the influences of emotion on memory.
A second area of interest involves semantic memory. Semantic memory differs from autobiographical memory in that it involves the knowledge of word meanings and concepts. One topic of interest is how specific concepts of word meanings could vary among participants, depending on the particular mood they are experiencing at the time they encounter these words. Observing both pleasant and unpleasant moods, it would be intriguing to measure differences in these semantic judgments, particularly on words describing emotions either similar or different from the mood participants are experiencing. The study of semantic memory could have strong implications for issues concerning emotion; is it possible that the mood a person experiences could impact their concepts of word meanings? The idea that mood could serve as a cue for the recall of memories and semantic judgments is a compelling one, and I look forward to investigating this interplay between cognition and emotion.
Megan Toews
Awards, Contributions, and Statement
Section 1
Name of Award / Value / Type / Location / Period HeldTSN/Therese Quigley Award / $3000 / National / Mount Allison University / 2002
SSHRC Summer Fellowship / $5500 / Institutional / Mount Allison University / 2001
James Bayer Nominee / $500 / Regional / Mount Allison University / 2001
Section 2
N/A
Section 3
N/A
Section 4
a. Research Experience
Last summer I had an opportunity to gain research experience through a SSHRC Summer Research Fellowship. This experience sparked my interest in psychology research, and enabled me to begin a project that later developed into my Honours thesis. I began by formulating research questions regarding the concept of emotional intelligence. As the summer progressed, I gained experience in developing the design, method and materials for an experiment, as well as creating questionnaires and recruiting participants. Finally, I was able to conduct pilot studies and collect data before beginning my thesis in the fall.
The completion of my Honours project was a very effective in giving me valuable research experience. I enjoyed working with my supervisors, as well as collaborating with other Honours students in the department. It was a rewarding experience to collect, tabulate, and interpret the results of my study, and I look forward to working on similar projects in the future.
b. Relevant Activities
A very significant part of my undergraduate experience was my involvement in extracurricular activities. I competed in varsity athletics for each of my four years at Mount Allison, playing on the Mount Allison women's volleyball team. As an athlete I have been given wonderful opportunities to develop leadership and communication skills, as well as efficient time management. The strong commitment that our varsity team expected was unique in that it led to close friendships with my coach, teammates, and trainers. I was viewed as a leader on the team, and was chosen as captain during my fourth year. This
Megan Toews
meant that I had to provide an example both on and off the court, and be able to communicate issues with players to the coach. As well, it was a challenge to balance classes and assignments while committing to at least 30 hours a week in practices and games. Time management was essential in that situation, and I feel that I succeeded in organizing my priorities. In the past year I was nominated for several awards highlighting academic, athletic, and community achievement. Most notably, I was the recipient of the national TSN/Therese Quigley Award, chosen by volleyball coaches within Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
Another important extracurricular activity was my involvement in a research discussion group, called "Fostering Leadership in Psychology Students". Group meetings were held weekly to discuss current research in psychology. Communication skill development was an important goal of the group, and this was accomplished, as each member was responsible for leading discussions and evaluating the articles chosen for interpretation. Overall, I chose extracurricular activities that I enjoyed, and that were challenging both physically and mentally.
c. Research Career
My experiences as an undergraduate student have led me to appreciate the value of scientific research, specifically in the field of psychology. I feel that I have gained valuable research skills through my academic and extracurricular activities. These skills will enable me to ask relevant questions, formulate a sound methodology, and conduct quality studies that will improve understanding of several key issues in psychology. I look forward to a career in research, beginning with the Masters program at UBC.